


OCtober 2020

by Pangolin_404



Category: Original Work
Genre: Self-Indulgent
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-01
Updated: 2020-10-15
Packaged: 2021-03-08 02:08:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 11
Words: 8,789
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26757784
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Pangolin_404/pseuds/Pangolin_404
Summary: Yup. OCs. Here's the prompt list https://www.instagram.com/p/CEedGF2F54S/?igshid=1kmp36tzg5rr4Probably won't do all the prompts because, like the Ink Demonth, this was intended for drawings, and I'm a little nervous writing out my characters, soooo. Yep. Enjoy!
Relationships: Original Character(s) & Original Character(s)
Kudos: 2





	1. [Stranded] Earliest OC

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The world the oc belongs to will be in brackets for easy navigation. The first few chapters will probably be short until I get the ball rolling. I almost never post oc-related stuff, haha.
> 
> Ahh, Stranded. Brings back memories. It's a pretty basic concept, but one that brings nostalgia: a drone crashes onto an alien planet and quickly gains sentience.

_External damage: minimal_

_Internal damage: minimal_

_Ship damage: destroyed_

_Status: functional_

_Continue with mission_.

They all but fell out of the pod. Scuffed limbs fell over themselves in the little crater the impact left. A hairline fracture along their screen left their vision blurry in their peripherals.

They'd landed close to the targeted landing site. The fields of rolling, bluish grass weren't far.

What had gone wrong?

A look back at their landing pod gave the answer. Something had gotten caught underneath the pod. Maroon and grey feathers were splattered with a desaturated cyan liquid.

They knew Uun had life- the forests were visible from satellites. But animal life..?

They felt sick.

They shouldn't be feeling sick.

And yet they stumbled out of the crater, looking away from the mangled corpse of the thing that crashed their ship. Oh, poor thing. It didn't deserve to die.

Finding themselves disoriented, they looked away. Their mission... Yes, their purpose.

What had it been?

Samples. Exploration. Documentation. Right...

They could still do that.

They took a photo of the view. Landing aside, the grass was beautiful. Almost too far to see was what appeared to be a forest.

Looking behind themself, they saw a mountain.

Surely they'd seen mountains before. In pictures, perhaps. Or as knowledge given to them. But never for real. Never up close. It towered over them, shrouded by fog and blanketed with dark foliage.

The concept of beauty had never occured to them before, but there it was, right there. Why did they find it mesmerizing?

The sight was so entrancing, they almost didn't hear the birdsong.

It was _music_. They'd never heard music before... had they? It was a high trilling, coming from the mountains before them. Was that what music was? It was lovely.

Subconsciously, they started to record the audio. Stepping around the wreckage, they made their way towards the not so distant mountain. Rounded shrubbery grew from the Earth- well. 'The Uun' didn't have a very pleasing ring to it, did it?

The plant life was fascinating. What might've been called bushes grew upwards and outwards, curling back down into the dirt. Moss-like leaves grew around it like a grassy bubble.

Despite being unable to feel, they touched it. The texture was lost on them, and they couldn't help but feel disappointed. It looked so soft! Oh, how they wished they could appreciate the texture and sensation of touch-

The birdsong was getting louder.

Looking up, they saw that something was flying. Lots of somethings! Darting further from the wreckage, they watched dark shapes up above fly closer. Would they fly past? They seemed to glow in the midday blue sky.

The sky was beautiful.

...the trilling grew ever-louder.

...there sure were a lot of flying creatures.

Hm. They looked back at the body torn apart by the ship. Red and grey and blue. They looked back at the creatures soaring straight towards them. Focusing their lens, they saw grey and blue and...red. And feathers. And hateful, entrancing eyes.

Oh no.


	2. [Whimsyland] Latest OC

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ah, Mel. Lass doesn't know what she's getting into.
> 
> Aka if FNAF met Hello Guest: buncha kids live in a theme park with mascots that want to kill them

The only sound was her breathing and the hiss of a spray paint can.

Her heart was jittery, and frankly she couldn't blame it. Something was off about the park. It was too still. Too lifeless. She expected at least one homeless man. Even some more graffiti! But after getting past the security, there was almost nothing. The walls were bare and scratchy, and posters had been weathered away or torn down. The paint peeled and rotted.

It was a ghost town. Mel didn't know what she'd expected, but it wasn't that.

At least the distant bird told her the park wasn't entirely lifeless.

Whatever. Her spray paint phoenix was looking dope and she wasn't going to bail out on it.

Raising the can in an arch of outlining red, she finished up the bird. It was a pretty, vibrant orange. It looked out of place against the faded cream paint. Hooking the can against her belt, she wiped her hands off on her pants and stepped back.

Yep, that looked cool.

The singular bird continued chirping. It was the same short melody, over and over, evenly spaced out. The more she heard it, the less it sounded like a bird, and the more it sounded like a human whistling.

It came from behind her. Without daring to turn unprepared, she picked a rock up from the ground. Then she spun around, arm raised. "Who's there?!"

A little boy sat atop the row of concessions, swinging his skinny legs over the edge. He was bundled up in a faded light blue coat, the fluffy hood pulled up.

He stopped whistling.

They stared at each other.

"...who the hell are you? Creep." Lowering the rock, she picked the more civil approach. Nobody else was around.

The kid didn't respond. Instead, he slid off the roof and landed on the ground still wet from morning rain. He just looked in her general direction before walking over. He smiled.

"That's a pretty bird."

"Thanks," she said, not knowing how else to respond. He looked a couple years younger than her, no older than fourteen. "Uh. Whatcha doing here, kid? Are you with someone?"

He shook his head and turned away, eyes on the rooftops above.

"What's your name?"

He ignored her. When he started leaving, she followed. "Hey. I'm Mel. This place is pretty creepy and you shouldn't be out here alone."

He again shook his head, whatever _that_ was supposed to mean. Still, she stayed behind him, taking in the surrounding tacky little food stalls and faded, peeling murals of an anthropomorphic alligator, eagle, and a reject Grimace. Were those _dolls_? What kind of uncanny Disney hell was this? She really should've better looked into the lore of the place.

"...so. Where're you goin'?"

The boy pointed up at a bell tower rising above all the other buildings. Behind it towered other attentions. A couple ferris wheels, winding tracks of a rollercoaster... And the bell tower stood guard against it all.

"Why are you here?"

He glanced over his shoulder, but didn't look directly at her. He made a vague motion towards the park's entrance and shook his head.

"Alright, then. Keep your secrets." It wasn't her business, as long as he wasn't doing something harmful, she supposed.

They lapsed into a curious silence. The boy didn't try to run, or leave, or do anything, really. With nothing else to say, Mel looked around more. The park was like a town, with streets that branched off and fake little fantasy houses and shops. Patches of greenery like overgrown bushes, vines, and trees sprung up every now and then, weighed down by dew and fog. 

Somewhere nearby, a radio began to play a broken tune.

"Well, that's just creep- kid?" She turned back to see dust where the boy should've been. He was sprinting off like his life depended on it, kicking up rubble as he ran. "Hey!"

Breaking into a run after him, she cast a glance behind her. The looping melody cut out before stuttering back up again. She swore something was moving between the buildings.

The boy skidded through a narrow alley and grabbed a tall gate labeled "staff only." He vaulted himself up it and scrambled into the slightly sloped roof, only to nearly slide off of the slick surface. Water droplets sprayed down as he stumbled up.

She was right behind him, locking a foot against the bars and pulling herself up. Boney hands clasped around her wrist when she was high enough, pulling her.

Something swollen with stinking rot was shuffling down the road. It moved faster than it should've.

"WHAT THE HELL IS THAT?!" Her grip loosened on the gate and she nearly brought the boy down with her. He made a distressed sound and had to let her go to find his footing. Her fingers found the edge of the roof and she pulled herself higher.

Again the kid grabbed her, and she found her way up, just barely. She slumped onto the roof, breathing hard.

The knockoff Grimace let out a low, dying wheeze. It was a moving mascot, poorly made and ripped open to expose stuffing in places. Between the clunky, jointless limbs and the torso was something dark and rotting. God knows what stained the faded fabric. Big glassy, plastic looked up at them, though by the snapping its neck made, it wasn't meant to bend like that.

The kid was shaking, and wrung his hands in jerky, anxious movements. He backed up further into the roof, and she stumbled after him, until the thing could only be heard, not seen.

"What the fuck. No, you get back here-" she reached out to grab the kid, but thought better of it. He was near tears. "Y-you tell me what that thing is. Right now."

He just whimpered and shuffled away. The rooftops were connected, and he had no issue hurrying along. Rattled, she could only go after him. He looked up only once to scan the rooftops before beelining towards the bell tower.

She looked back at the entrance, the arch looming in the distant fog. And she recalled how the boy had simply shook his head when asked why he was there.


	3. [Misc. Darkness] Siblings

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this "story" doesn't have a name. I just call it "the sunless one."

"FOUR! Fooouur! Are you around here?!"

"Christ, kid, keep it down!" Ben gripped the boy by the arm, but he still bounced in place, looking this way and that. "I- I've got a bad feeling about this place." Even though they were alone. Even though there hasn't been a sign of life since he'd woken up.

"But she was here! I saw her!" He tugged again his arm, whining.

"That was a dream."

"I know!"

Sighing, Ben pulled him closer. "It's pitch black out here. You stay right here. I can't find you if you run off too far." Despite his eyes adjusting to the darkness, it was still nearly impossible to see across the gravel road. The only light came from the flashlight in Five's hands, but even then he wasn't exactly holding it straight.

Five groaned, but got back at his side. The flashlight illuminated the bike lane in front of them. There were no sidewalks where they were on the countryside- just road, then grass, and then a fence. It didn't take five seconds before he started moving and looking around again.

"How about you tell me a little bit about Four?" If that didn't get the kid to keep his head on straight, he honestly didn't know what he'd do.

"Oh!" His face lit up. "She's real nice! The oldest of us, I think." He paused to count, then nodded. "Yeah, the oldest. And probably the smartest. So we didn't see her a lot."

And _there_ was the shady "bad scientists" backstory Ben didn't believe a word of.

"Her whole thing is dreams! Remember?"

"Yes. I remember."

"It bugs her sometimes because it's so realistic sometimes she doesn't know if she's dreaming, so she doesn't mess with it a lot. Plus, the monsters can get real- COWS!" All but shrieking, Five tore free and leapt towards the fence.

"Five!" Swearing, Ben reached out to grab him by the hoodie, but missed. "Get back here!"

"Look! Look, it's a cow!" Waving the flashlight towards the poor bovine, he got dangerously close to the barbed fence. He reached over it, only spooking it backwards. "Come here! I wanna touch it! Can I touch it?"

"No! Get away from there, you'll hurt yourself! Get..." He trailed off. Five's light stopped waving and caught on something in the distance. Five didn't seem to notice it, not trying to avoid impaling himself and beckon the cow closer.

"Five... Kid, come back to me slowly. Slowly." Speaking lowly, he stepped as close to the ledge as he dared.

"You're no- oh, that?" Five focused the light on the thing in the grass. It didn't reflect anything, just absorbed the light, leaving nothing but a bad photoshop behind. "...you're seeing that, too?"

"Don't get its attention-" but the thing's head was already moving, turning, perhaps?

"I was right! I'm not crazy! You thought I was nuts! You thought I was seeing things!!" he jabbed a finger at it. "BUT I'M NOT! YOU SEE IT, TOO!"

It began to run towards them.

He lowered his arm, and all energy drained from him. He suddenly looked very, very scared. "You see it, too..."

By how he said it, that wasn't a good thing.

Cursing, Five stumbled back, and Ben finally grabbed him. He pulled him close and hurried backwards. The kid didn't move the flashlight, and only stared as the blackened nothing ran at them.

A gunshot pierced the air.

It didn't slow down.

The flashlight clattered to the ground, flickered off, and Five whimpered. "Shh."

Another shot rang out. Something yelped.

And still, he didn't let Five go. Slowly he moved back with him, praying either the thing was hit or it had lost interest. He'd fight the thing tooth and nail if it got past the fence.

"Who's out there?!" Someone called from down the road, in the darkness. She sounded young and scared.

"Four...?" From against him, Five called out. Ben tensed, but nothing came at them.

"Five?" The girl called again, closer. A dim flashlight shone in the darkness.

"FOUR-!" He shot off like a bullet, nearly tripping over himself. He flung himself at the girl, throwing his arms around her. "You're alive!"

"Holy hell-" the girl, Four apparently, dropped the shotgun gun and hugged him back. She lifted him up and swung him around, laughing. She was maybe sixteen, a year or two older than Five. "You're alive! Dude! I knew I found you!"

Casting a glance at the dark field, Ben hurried towards them. The moment his eyes met Four's, she was on guard, eyes widening and smile dropping. "...who's that?"

"Oh! That's Ben!" Giddy, Five motioned him closer. "He found me! And saved my life!"

"That's... great." Setting Five down, she picked the gun up off the ground. "...why's he here?"

"...saved my life. I think I already said that. He's real nice!"

"Hi... You're Four, right? Five's sister? He told me a lot about you." He chose not to mention how he doubted her existence. "I'm Benjamin."

Picking up on the tension, Five jumped between them. "Hey! He's a friend, I promise! Just give him a chance!"

"...fine. But only because you said so." She had a light tremor in her hands as she took Five by the hand. "By the way... I want to know..."

"Where's One? She was with you, wasn't she?"


	4. [Toy Soldiers] Rivals

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Toy Soldiers is a cherished lil story of mine and I love all of my messed up cyborg children dearly
> 
> Warning for description of a gunshot wound.

"Smells like something died in here," Vulture said, looking this way and that around the building. Blind eyes swept over the wrecked building, passing over tipped chairs and scattered paper. He tilted his head as glass crunched under his feet.

Anthony said nothing, and looked away from the blood smearing the far wall. The body was hidden by a usurped desk.

"...did something die?" The boy asked. When the man just sighed, he scrunched up his nose in disgust. "Oh."

Change of subject.

"The sky bridge should get us over the sinkhole. And around the dogs." At the mention of dogs, Vulture shuddered. "Are you good with heights?"

"I think so. Don't think I've ever been high up, though."

Anthony led him to the elevator. Wordlessly, he tried it, only half expecting it to work. To his surprise, the cracked arrow blinked on.

"Elevator?" Vulture guessed.

"Mhm."

"Lazy."

"Go on and take the stairs if that's what you want." The elevator dinged and the doors opened. He stepped in. Vulture followed. Anthony pressed the button to the top floor and stepped back. "How much of the city are you familiar with?"

"Not much. Mostly just home." The word _home_ was twinged with bitter resentment. "We weren't aloud outside."

"Ah."

They descended into an awkward silence as the elevator shuddered up. Not even music was playing. Beside him, Vulture reached up and tugged on a dark loc of hair, winding it between his fingers in a bored fidget. He needed a haircut. And a shower.

The elevator opened.

A wall opposite them was shattered inwards. A smear of blood came from the window, and trickled sharply to the left. Blood that had fallen onto the glass glinted in the fog-filtered sunlight.

Anthony had been in the city long enough to know what recent blood looked like. "Stay behind me. We're not alone. There's blood, maybe a few hours old."

"Anyone dead?"

"I don't see a body. I'm checking."

Whatever had crawled into a ten story building, he didn't want to risk meeting. Taking Vulture by the arm (making him hiss and grumble), he skirted towards where the blood led.

Without warning, Vulture lunged ahead of him, jerking around the corner with teeth bared and in a ready to fight stance.

"Oh for the love of-" a third voice began.

"You-!" Vulture didn't relax, but he did point, rather unhelpfully. "You... I forgot your name! But you're with Ursine!"

Anthony thought Vulture was one of the more messed up victims. The woman, a few years older than him, perhaps eighteen or so, was on par with him. She looked like a _spider_. Spindly metal legs coming from her back moved and squeaked. Pale, uneven straw hair fell over her face, obscuring her hateful eyes. Though from her spot limp against a wall, knee a mangled, red mess, she wasn't in any state to fight.

"Oh, hello to you to." She pulled out a gun from a backpack she hugged against her side. She clicked the safety off.

"Hey, hey! Don't shoot!"

The gun was focused on Anthony now. "Who the fuck are you?!"

"You sound different." Vulture commented, not at all bothered by the situation. "Why are you here?"

"I'm bleeding out, asshat!"

"Kid, she has a gun, don't-"

"I know."

"-anger her..." Vulture was going to be the death of him. Christ. Raising his hands, Anthony stepped between her and Vulture. "I'm not going to hurt you."

"I will, though!" Vulture said cheerfully, stepping out from behind him.

"No, we're not. Let's introduce ourselves. I'm Anthony. I was sent here on an ambassador mission. That's Vulture."

The girl scrutinized him before lowering the gun. Sighing, she slumped back, clasping a hand to her side. Red soaked through the tattered white shirt she wore. "The one Spark went after...? Shit, that's you?"

So that was the suicide bomber's name. Spark. _Fitting_. "Y-yes. I... I was the only survivor." He preferred not to linger too much on the whole event.

"Sorry about that. On... Ursine's behalf." Her eyes fluttered shut for a moment before opening. She was pale with blood loss. "...I'm Parka. I... I'm Ursine's assistant."

At hearing that, Vulture scowled. "We can ditch her, Anthony. You already know the way. I can gut her, if it helps your guilt."

"Just how would that- no. Nobody's killing anyone. It's nice to meet you, Parka. Here, I have bandages, I-"

"We're not dealing with this! She's with the enemy!"

"I feel like you forget I technically support the revolt," Anthony said, kneeling at Parka's side. She eyed him warily as he shrugged his backpack off. Vulture looked downright betrayed. He grit his teeth, as if going to argue further, before shaking his head and storming off in the opposite direction.

"...you want some water?"

"Yeah. Kudos to you for not getting flayed alive by him." She gratefully accepted the water. "Bitch nearly ripped me apart last I saw him."

"Hey, he..." He found he couldn't really defend Vulture on that front, and instead lifted her shirt to see the damage. She winced. "What happened?"

"I got shot. Twice." After finishing the bottle of water, she took a deep breath and went on. "Specifically I was going to meet 72. You ever meet him?"

"No. Why are you the only one here who has a normal name?"

"Picked it myself," She mumbled. "Anyways, 72 is this abomination of a thing who leads an offshoot of what Ursine's got. He split off from us. Supports the revolt, I think, but... Yeah, I haven't gotta clue what he wants. That's why I was going to meet him."

She swore as he pressed a gauze patch to the cut. The bullet just grazed her, by the looks of it. The knee was what really worried him. "Sorry."

"'s okay. Not the worst pain I've felt. So, I go to where he wants to meet to discuss stuff or whatever, and I immediately get shot. Had his dear little monster come after me." Seeing the look on Anthony's face, she added, "That's what he called him. Dear. You'll know him if you ever see him, cuz the first thing you think is, 'oh, dear.' I don't think that thing's got a lotta braincells."

"Nor do you!" Vulture called from his sulking spot.

"Don't be rude!"

"How'd you two stand each other? I'd've thought Vulture would kill anyone he came across." She hissed as he wound bandages over her torso, holding the gauze in place.

"He..." He lowered his voice to a whisper. He didn't miss how Vulture inclined his head ever so slightly. "He was nearly dead on his feet when we ran into each other. I couldn't just let him die. Then he threatened to kill me if I didn't take him to Ursine, and... here we are."

"You could ditch him."

"I won't, though. He... he needs help. And I want to help him." Not once had he ever considered abandoning Vulture. He loved that kid, damnit, and he would continue to do so until it got him killed.

"You're an idio- ow! Ow, ow, ow-" her body snapped taught when he touched her shot leg. "Could'a warned me!"

"Sorry. I just want to check if the bullet was still in there." Her leg was thin and fit in his hand a little too easily. Meat and bone was pulverized. The kneecap was shattered and still bled freely. Slipping his fingers behind her knee, he there was no exit wound.

"...what's with that face? That's not a good face. I know it's bad. Is it really that bad?"

"I've... seen quite a few bullet wounds in my time. Yeah, this... looks absolutely terrible. I'm not a doctor. All I can do is remove the bullet, bandage this, and maybe splint it."

Parka said nothing, and only went limp, as if giving up. "Hey. You'll be okay. You said you're going to Ursine, right? Isn't that at the capitol? We'll-"

Vulture was suddenly beside him, leaning over them. "Say Parka's joining and I'll throw you both out of this building."

"She's joining."

"Anthony!" He grabbed him by the shoulder, forcing him to look at him. "You listen to me. Parka's going to kill you. Ursine's going to backstab you. I thought you wanted the best for us."

"I do. And if Ursine does prove to be just as bad as you say she is, I'll still find peace in knowing I just wanted you and everyone else to be safe and happy."

The kid looked ready to blow up. Lightly, Anthony set a hand on his arm. "You wait nearby. We'll join you when I finish patching up Parka."

He backed up. "I'm going to kill you." He hissed at Parks. "I'm going to rip your stupid fucking legs off and rip your teeth out."

And again, he stormed off.


	5. [Misc. Monsters] Red

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I really wanna make it through all the color prompts hh

Rodger was trying to be quiet. The apartment halls were pitch black in the night, and the only light came from the streetlights twenty stories below.

So all he had to do was be quiet.

Gripping his BB gun so tight he had to double-check the safety was on, he peered around a corner. His eyes had long since adjusted to the darkness, but still, he couldn't make out anything too far away. Would he risk it?

He did. Taking a deep breath, he hurried forward, choosing not to look into the doors forced open or pay any mind to the shattered windows. He refused to look.

The thought of something flying betrayed his will. Breath hitching, he looked over at the windows as he shuffled by.

Nothing.

Just the skyline. Just the city around him. All was quiet and dead as if he was all alone in the world.

But he knew he wasn't.

He wasn't alone and that terrified him. What was out there? Anything like the things he saw on the streets? The things rustling in the forest? The shapes the flittered between lit windows before the power outage?

Before his thoughts could spiral out further, a hand snapped out of a cracked door and clung to his arm. He screamed.

"Shh! Sh! Quiet! Mother Mary, boy, quiet!" A hand clapped around his mouth and pulled him into the cramped, two-room apartment.

He was let go. An older figure hurried to the door and began locking it. There were half a dozen locks, from deadbolts to sliding chains. Grumbling, he turned back around.

He was a tall, burly man, with calloused, dark skin and a beard growing in. His eyes were haunted and weary. "What the hell are you doing here, boy?"

"Y-you're bleeding!" Indeed he was. A dark patch of _red_ soaked through his shirt, brighter rivulets sticking to the torn tatters. "What happened?!-"

"Keep it down, unless you want to be bleedin', too!" Taking Rodger by the shoulders, the man leaned in close. "Were you followed?"

"F-followed...?"

"Damnit," he muttered, "you could get us both killed. Answer my question. What are you doing here?"

"I- I saw something. Outside my window. There are-"

"Things in the streets? In the halls?" Wincing, he let him go. He sat down hard on an unmade bed, hands hovering over his side. "Bastard outside got me."

"I... I have bandages," that seemed like a good place to start. He reached into his backpack and took out a little role of Walmart gauze he'd brought along. Just in case. "Um... Do you know... What happened? As in, what those things are?"

"Beats me," taking the bandages and examining them, he went on, "I just know they ain't s'possed to be here. I think-"

Something thumped against the door. It groaned.

"Ah, shit." The man sighed heavily, as if he held a heavy burden. "How high up are we, again?"


	6. [Corruption] Orange

Robert awoke to the smell of food. Then the sunlight filtering through the windows hit him right in the eyes. Stretching with a soft groan, he sat up, rubbing the sleep from his eyes.

It took him far too long to recall he'd fallen asleep at Jeremy's place. The other side of the bed was unmade. Looking outside, be realized how goddamn early it was. The sun was barely fully over the horizon.

Somewhere outside, a rooster cawed. He probably was going to go back to sleep. Not that he minded.

Jeremy's home was quaint. It was the definition of cottagecore, with the outside overgrown with minimally trimmed bushes and a warm, homey inside. The sky was brightening more and lit up the trees and thickets bordering the yard. It wasn't often he was there so early, enveloped in the odd, alien vibe. He spent a minute just laying there, appreciating it.

It was wildly different from downtown, where there were always lights, always people outside, dogs barking or engines revving. The change of pace was nice.

He got out of bed quietly, as if trying to avoid disturbing anything. It wasn't even silent- outside he could hear chickens clucking and birds singing. The birdsong there was different from that in town. Things were still moving and living in a strange, familiar way.

Jeremy was in the kitchen cooking. Why he dressed like he'd escaped from the 1970s, he didn't know, but it was charming. He looked good in sweater vests.

Slipping his arms around him, Robert smiled. "Morning."

"Morning." Curly ginger hair still damp from a shower tickled against his neck as Jeremy looked over his shoulder. "Did you sleep well?"

"Mmhm." He only hugged him tighter. "Didn't know you woke up so early."

Jeremy leaned into his back, slipping a hand into his. "I get up early to let the chickens out; maybe I'll drag you out with me one day. Still have stuff to do after eating. I made eggs for us."

"Thanks. You're the best." Moving slightly. He tilted his head up and kissed him. It was brief, and he almost pulled him back in after he pulled back.

They lapsed into a peaceful silence. Jeremy finished the eggs, all the while Robert hugged him and planted light kisses along his neck and jaw and smiled against him. By the time they'd sat down, Jeremy was blushing up to his ears.

"You're... affectionate today," he said quietly, staring at the table as if it were the most interesting thing in the world. He rubbed the back of his neck. "...not that I'm complaining." Rarely did he take physical affection in stride. It always made him blush or fidget or look away.

"Well, maybe it's because I'm falling in love with you twice over." Because, honestly, he was pretty and sweet and he just loved Jeremy so, so much, and his lovestruck heart couldn't handle it. He looked so... just so lovely, with the sun hitting his fluffy orange hair just right, making his little smile brighter and the rest of him practically glow.

The sound Jeremy made was a cross between a gasp and a sputter, as he blushed harder and only got cuter. Shaking his head, he stammered out, "I... You're being dramatic!"

"No I'm not." Smiling, Robert leaned back in his chair. "I love you, Jeremy. I just want you to know that."

He smiled back. It was a tiny, shy smile that melted his heart. "I love you, too."


	7. [Hyriam] Yellow

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Behold my ripoff Pokemon that I got lazy about writing

The sun beat down on the bushland. The dry, yellowing grass crunched underfoot. Neither of them were used to such heat.

Nexus looked about ready to drop unconscious. The very clearly was regretting wearing his usual living-in-the-wild heavy black cloak. He'd insisted he could endure it.

"You want some water?" Beth asked, already unhooking her chilled bottle from her belt and holding it out. He took it, mumbled a tired thanks, and drank.

She tapped her watch, bringing up the map. "I think we're... A couple miles away from the ruins?" The glare of the sun made it hard to make out the screen.

"Can't wait..." He passed the bottle back to her. He pulled down his hoodie. "I'm going to personally kick the professor for having us come out here."

"Why can't you just summon one of the guardians? One of them flies, right?"

He took in a deep breath, as if preparing an explanation, only to inhale dry, dusty shrub land air and choke. She pat his back. "Told you-" he muttered, "that's not how it works."

"Mm. Fifteen years surrounded by Companions and yet you haven't befriended a single one."

"I don't do that..."

"Taming and befriending are different-"

"Oh, well, come on, I'm they're similar words! And- and you're the tamer!" He interrupted her, rolling his eyes. "Shouldn't you be the one that has something that can be ridden?"

"Extremely good point." Beth shrugged. He had a point. She hadn't brought along anyone actually useful, and she was regretting it. They'd been in a hurry ever since visiting the excavation site in the Ribcage, and hadn't stopped back in Hyriam. She already missed the humid, chilly weather there.

They continued onwards. Nexus looked over his shoulder. "Hm... Is that a dust storm?"

Beth turned around. Clouds of tan were billowing into the air far away. "I.... Wait, no, wait- what month is it?"

"Uh... May?"

"May, right, so it's spring, so..." She trailed off, making motions in the air as she thought. "I... Oh. Oh no. Oh that's not a storm."

"...is it a tornado?"

The dust was only shooting up in a line. It was quickly growing closer. 

Very quietly, Nexus asked, "...maybe a sinkhole?"

Beth took him by the wrist and spun around. "Run. Nex, _RUN_ -"

Behind them, something shot out of the sand and dried dirt. It shrieked, glistening golden in the sun until it was blinding to look at. Nexus shrieked and overtook Beth in no time, kicking up dust and pulling free from her in a panic.

She followed as fast as her legs could carry her, panting. The thing- which she couldn't recall the name of- rushed after them, roaring and spitting in a blaze of gold and yellow. Its body was scuffed with age and won battles, pale scar tissue marring its terrifyingly beautiful sheen.

Something became clear in the dust ahead of them. Sudden, jagged plateaus pierced the otherwise flat landscape. Something protruded through its cliffs, sprawling and clustered.

The ruins.

Nexus veered his sprint, still streaking ahead of Beth by several yards. She looked back to see the serpentine desert nightmare slam back onto the earth, ripping up sand and dirt and sparse plant life. It burrowed deep into the rock. The earth rumbled, then grew silent.

"Oh sweet mother of Borvux what was that?!" He yelled, slowing down and still looking around for signs it was coming back up.

"It- hold on-" stumbling over rocks, she wheezed, trying to catch her breath. "It... It's only active in the springtime, and... and it... yeah it does that..." She slowed down to a stop, hands on her knees. "Never... ever coming here ever again..."

"I miss my forest," Nexus mumbled mournfully. He trudged towards her. His cloak looked painful and hot just to look at. "Let's please get this over with...."

"Gladly..."


	8. [Toy Soldiers] Green

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A pretty short one for today.

Winter was always rainy. Sometimes it snowed, but mostly it got cold and wet until the streets were two inches flooded.

The cold was a major issue a few weeks back. There were so many of them and they all had trouble cooperating or acting like a decent human. There had been thefts and injuries. People had been sleeping outside because they were so aimlessly lost and scared.

But things were better. Parka knew that. When spring had finally arrived and the sun was finally shining bright and warm, things would get better. And things did. The androids were great help. Ursine helped them stay warm and helped them get themselves together, so they gave advice to her on what a bundle of ragamuffins needed to survive.

Food and water were supplied easily enough. Despite housing a sudden abundance, everyone seemed to live together. Even those who fled and staked out by themselves during the first few weeks eventually wandered back in to live with old enemies and new friends.

Oddly, entertainment was the biggest issue.

Very few of them were actually adults. Ursine, herself, and maybe even 72 might've been the oldest ones- as if any of them knew their exact date of birth. So if one gets a couple hundred preteens to teens who haven't known fun since their infancy, freshly freed from a living hell, and you let them loose in a world where violence against each other wasn't tolerated, you get vandalism.

Lots and lots of vandalism.

Personally, Parka saw the appeal. She herself had spent dozens of hours finding her way up any tall or interesting building she could find. That often included breaking windows to get inside. Stealing whatever clothing she wanted was a joy. Even just kicking down mannequins or breaking down a door was exhilarating for getting frustration and anger out.

But that got boring, and so she'd moved on to more pacifistic practices. She still appreciated bottle throwing contests and burning down abandoned labs as much person, but there were more enriching things to do, in her opinion.

She was finding joy in the outdoors.

She couldn't recall ever appreciating it before. Not when she rarely had the chance to hug a tree or frolick through flowers. The flowers were her favorite, and as spring arrived, the city only became greener and greener. Lawns once trimmed down were becoming overgrown. Nobody was tending the empty buildings' plants. It led to a lot of dead stuff inside and a lot of lush stuff outside.

She was sick of the inside, anyways. As the days grew longer, she spent more time outside, in a park or random front lawn.

As she sat in one of said parks, she contemplated sleeping there. It wasn't even close to sundown, not was she especially tired, but what was the harm in embracing the luxury of safety?

She heard footsteps behind her. Snapping out of her thoughts, she looked over her shoulder.

It was just Ursine. She stood beside her. Parka thought she looked less stressed than she'd been lately. "Hey."

"Hey. Mind if I sit with you?"

"Not at all. Got plenty of room." The field of weeds she'd gotten comfortable in was big enough for them. The bulk of the flowers and the sparse trees were around them. With a weary sigh, Ursine sat beside her. She could hear her joints pop as her knees bent. 

"Guessing you don't want to talk about work?"

"To be honest, not really." She laid back, sprawling out. "I can see while you're out here so often. This is nice." With the grass between her fingers and outlining her, and her expression one of peace...

"You look beautiful." Okay. Maybe she should think before she speaks.

Ursine smiled a little, closing her eyes. "Thanks. You look pretty, too."

She snorted. "Liar."

"It's true. You look lovely sitting in a field of flowers."

"Mmhm. Sure." She rolled onto her stomach and lay beside her. "So, how've you been?"

"Tired." She yawned. "...might fall asleep here."

"It is comfortable, isn't it?" She hesitated only a second before setting her hand over Ursine's. It was warm, and her fingers slotted against hers perfectly. 

She squeezed her hand. "Mhm. And you're staying right here."

"Of course."


	9. [Steamwork] Blue

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Technically the same world as Hyriam, but in different parts of the world, experiencing unrelated stories.

He was tired. Trekking across the city, weaving between slums and getting shoved aside as if he were a plastic bag was really wearing Stephen down.

His breaths were ragged and deep from his walk. His mask, once meant to help him breathe in the polluted city, was only making his face uncomfortably humid with carbon dioxide. But he didn't want to take it off. He'd never really done that outside before. When would he? He was outside.

Outside of Steamwork.

He's seen pictures, of course. It wasn't as if anything was being hidden. There were trees and grass and lakes as blue as... Well, he'd never seen such a vibrant blue himself. The sky was always in dark with factory smog and filth. Even the patches of grass and the weeds that grew in sidewalk cracks seemed desaturated and greying.

Even in Steamwork's outskirts, it was gross and rank. He still had a little ways to go before he found the blue skies he wanted.

The sky was a lighter grey. Looking behind himself, he saw the city gates were fading from view. Even the bridge seemed so far away. 

From his satchel, something poked its head out. He pat the head of his Companion, a particularly boney and slithering Yenk, and let her look out. He wondered if she had ever been outside. She deserved to. Everybody did.

Tilting her wandering head forwards, at the light horizon, he opened his mouth. Words were hard for him to find, and scratched his throat with blackened claws, but he was excited, and felt she should know. "We're almost there."

She chittered and slipped out of his bag. Three pairs of suction cup hands brought her onto his back. Despite being so scrawny, she was much healthier than wild Yenk. He might've cared for her more than he did himself. Were wild Companions as naturally healthy as she was after days of being tended to?

He couldn't wait to find out.

Hesitating, he reached up and lowered his mask. He took in a deep breath. The air was so clean it stung and made him cough, and he nearly cry-laughed from the irony of it.

It was great. Even if he was too drained to run, he kept at a constant walk, keeping his eyes set on the sky. How long had he been walking? He'd lost track of time.

Almost an hour? The sky...

It was blue.


	10. [Hyriam] Purple

"Neeex! Nex, I found a lead!" Beth let out a breath of relief as the village came into sight. Watakayiu was a downright beautiful place, nestled beside the biggest river around and protected by a thick, winding forest. Opposite the river was a sheer cliff and plateau. Out of sight, she heard a waterfall.

Perfect place for some illegal activity in the mines. _Suspected_ illegal activity, but hopefully Nexus could help. She just had to find him first.

The trail to the village was made of smooth rocks. She looked around the first road she came across. The place, while gorgeous, was a maze, and with everything so old and made of stone and overgrown, there was no hope of finding the temple they'd parted at.

Hyriam was so uniform and easy to navigate. She wished she'd asked for a map.

"Oh!" She spotted the nice old woman who's happily greeted them. "Ms. Iknam!" She was a sweet old lady, with her hair in tiny braids that framed her face. Her handmade dress reached her ankles. 

"Oh, hello, Beth!" She smiled as she hurried over. "How did you like the forest?"

"It was really beautiful," and that was no lie, despite her having spent less time actually exploring than she would've liked, "I wanted to ask if you know where Nexus is? Or the temple? ...does this place have more than one place of worship?"

"Oh, we have several, but I know where he'd be." She beckoned her to follow. "He's a sweet boy."

"Mhm."

"How long will you two be staying?"

"I... I don't know. I think he'll want to stay for a few days, and I want to look around more." Mostly to look at all the Companions that were lurking around. It wasn't every day she saw Knoi in the rivers or a Kelsgi galloping through trees. Reading about them wasn't nearly as fun as looking at them in real life.

And they had to deal with that shady truck. That, too.

The temple came into view. It was a sizable building, or group of buildings, it was hard to tell with all the greenery on it. Stained glass of all different vibrant greens and purples and reds glittered the leaves in the sunlight. Tanned stones made up its ancient walls. There was a short stone wall that came up to her waist, and while there were no gates, there appeared to be pedestals at even intervals, with a dip in the middle covered in fallen leaves and debris. They could've once held statues or torches, she couldn't tell.

"Ah, before we go in... You're a tamer, right?"

"Yeah. Should I... let them all out?" None of her Companions were of unruly size or strictly aquatic, so letting them out wouldn't be a problem.

"Yes, please. And no bothering any Companions inside."

"Got it." She took the two Discs off her belt and pressed the centers of one, then the other. Deslin, her first Companion, was a small creature, with bright green leaves on his back. He camouflaged in the grass quite well, and the only indicator the walking bush was alive was the cute peach face looking up at her. Her second Companion was a young Sprunner, a creature with a raptor-esque body that was a dull yellow with sharp, black stripes. She paced around Beth's legs and chirped, and Beth was careful to keep her within arm's reach, lest she bolt.

"Should I leave my Discs out here?"

"No, you should be just fine."

"Alright. Thanks, Miss." She waved a bye and, Companions in tow, walked in.

It wasn't nearly as quiet as she thought it would be. While the roof pushed in, almost at a dome shape, the center was completely open. There were benches, and sitting on those benches were people and Companions alike. Some people were quietly talking, while others knelt in front of engravings that depicted various Companions, and others still just sat and basked.

In the center of it all was a statue of Borvux, the nature guardian. It wasn't a big statue, but it was ancient, grey and mossy. Only the top had moss that stretched into cracks. She was curled up with her head bowed. Her eyes were open, and instead of carved stone, they were reflective, purple gemstones.

It was neat. Hyriam had places of worship and statues, but everything was always kept new and clean. Seeing something like this was surreal, like the stuff found only in old ruins and textbooks. Part of her wanted to sit and look at it all, but-

"Oh, hi, Beth!" Nexus practically materialized beside her, a big smile on his face. Far too used to getting jumped by him, she barely flinched. "Isn't this place so cool?"

"Yeah, it's... It's... tranquil."

"Right? I love it." Bouncing on his heels, he dragged her towards an empty bench. Sprunner decided to, well, run off, while Deslin nestled himself in the grass and hunkered down like the goodest walking bush in the world. "Did you find anything?"

"I think so. What about you?" She kept her voice in a whisper, as if in a library.

"I met a couple of the people who watch over this place. They were really nice and we're happy to tell me about it." He too spoke softly for once, but the excitement was clear. "They said Borvux made for forest here and Chellonux carved Watashiki river. Isn't that cool?"

"Oo, yeah. Does that mean there's a Chellonux statue somewhere?"

"Probably. Maybe it's _in_ the river." Nexus made a vague motion with his hands, leaning against the wall behind them. "Maybe we can ask around, or... could we stay here a while longer?"

""Course," she hummed, looking up at the statue. Deslin pressed against her legs until she picked him up, and still, she found her eyes wandering to the temple's walls and carvings. Especially Borvux's eyes. Such a pretty, bright purple they were. She wondered how they stayed so bright after so long. It was as if the guardian was looking right at them.


	11. [Misc. Fantasy] Knight

"You sure this is the best option?" Damien asked, keeping his voice low on the streets. Luca said she was their best bet, but after seeing a poster of her? Frankly, he thought she'd kill Nathan the moment she found him.

Luca shrugged. Hidden under a robe, it was impossible to discern any expression they felt. "She's tracked down escaped humans before. It's either her or Stronsay, and I don't think we can travel that far, let alone get through his bodyguard."

"You say that as if Clementine doesn't have bodyguards, herself. And she's human,just like us!" She was decked out an armor and a sword that could slice air, but she looked human enough. Even if the drawing was embellished, she looked just fine. Certainly more human than others they've encountered.

"Well..."

"Alright, what horrid monster is-"

"You don't say that about people here!" They snapped, swatting him on the arm. "She appears fairly human, yes, but I can assure you, werecreatures and humans are different."

"Alright, okay, sorry! Let's just find her and ask, okay?"

"Okay. Let's go."

"Wait-" but Luca was already pulling him along by the arm, "how can we get an audience with her? She's the general, she's gotta be important. Surely we can't just walk in."

"Oh, we can't. But I'll just say you're Nathan."

" _What_?"

"You're twins! She won't see the difference, I'm sure! Then we tell her the real reason we're there, she'll help us get him, and you'll be home free!"

"I..." He sighed, "oh, fine."

Luca's grip didn't feel human, ironically. Sure they sounded human, and walked normally, but something about the way they held his arm felt off. He didn't ask, and just kept his head low and followed. Whatever Luca was, he didn't care, as they hadn't tried to eat or kill him.

Clementine was said to be in a little castle. Not the central castle, but a small one; the middle ring of the city. He could see it then, tall and stone, with a cathedral-esque structure attached. They dragged him towards it.

The guard standing post was goatlike. A satyr, maybe. His ears twitched indignantly at the sight of them. "State your business."

"I found the human," Luca said without pause. Damien just sighed and tried to at least look inconvenienced at his "capture."

The satyr stared him down before snatching him from Luca. He opened his mouth to protest, but his arm was twisted behind his back at am angle it really wasn't meant to be bent at. "Ow! Ow, ow, let me-"

"Save it for Miss Thalia."

 _'Thalia?'_ he mouthed to Luca. _'Clemintine?'_

 _'Last mame,'_ they mouthed back, and their mouth moved _wrong_. They hurried alongside the guard, barely passing as innocuous.

Inside was a very, very fancy hall, like the stuff only seen in movies. Damien was so distracted by the medieval look of it, he almost missed Clementine. Almost.

She had clearly been in the middle of a conversation, sat firmly in a throne with one leg kicked up over the other. The woman standing beside her, so soft and friendly and the polar opposite of the knight beside her, stepped back.

The poster didn't do Clementine justice.

She was downright terrifying. Her brown hair was cut short, framing her scowling face. A pink scar that tore at her cheek starkly contrasted her darker skin. Even not in full armor, she dressed ready to fight. Two thin doggish ears stood up straight. _Definitely not human_. She set a hand on her knee and leaned forward. "Alright, what's going on here?"

"This citizen claims to have found the human."

"You-" she motioned to the guard, "g-"

"Achael-" the woman beside her helpfully supplied.

"Achael, get out. You, human, get over here."

Obediently, they all did as they were told. Archael hesitated before leaving, and Damien shuffled towards the woman, rubbing his sore shoulder. Only when the satyr leave did he quietly speak up. "H-hi-"

"You're not him."

"I... sorry?"

Clementine stood, only to lean down, glaring. "The human had white eyes. Yours are brown. And the human wouldn't hesitate to kill me. You!" She shoved him aside and met Luca in two strides. She yanked down their hood. Their skin color had changed. "Who are you?!"

"...James?"

That was a lie, and it was clear Clementine knew it. She lifted them clean off the ground. "I think you didn't hear me. Tell me who you are, and why you two are lying."

"We're looking for Nathan!" Damien piped up, before Luca could say something out of line. "He's my brother, a-and I just want to go home!"

The woman from before looked at him closely. "I don't think he's lying. He does look a lot like him, dearest."

"Since he fell outta the sky, Clem!" Luca grinned. He swore she nearly clocked them. "Just trying to help!"

"Call me that again and I'll knock your teeth in. Full name. Now."

Giving her the cheekiest of smiles, they said, "Luca."

Clementine dropped them. Landing in a heap, Luca giggled. "Polite, but that's okay, I understand!"

"Blasphemous, both of you..." Shaking her head, she grabbed Damien. "You're going straight to Leon, and your friend is joining you. May the real Luca give me strength not to punt you both into the sun."

"That's a bit much, don't you think?" The other woman asked. She gave him a sympathetic smile. "I'm Pam, by the way. I'm sure you're really quite lovely."

"It's nice to meet you, Pam." Might as well be polite. "Listen, we don't mean to bother you. I just want to find Nate and go home."

Pam looked sharply at Clementine. "Oh, come on, Clem, he's just a kid."

"Absolutely not. They're both going straight to King Leon."

"Please? For me? I'd rather not hear of a child being beheaded because of this."

By some miracle, that softened her. Clementine let out a heavy sigh. "Very well. If only to compromise, you will help me locate the human."


End file.
